In an attempt to prevent large scale get togethers and parties, this year all public transport had ceased by 10 pm, unlike other years when it runs throughout the night. New Year’s celebrations in Japan are much more similar to our Christmases. A family time with lots of cooking, eating and playing games.

One tradition, started in 1951, is to gather around the television to watch a four hour show, the Red & White song festival that pitches male performers against female performers. And it is excruciatingly bad! The judges announce the winners; this year it was the women but that is unusual. We watched only small portions ….!

It is common for the Japanese to visit shrines and temples at midnight on New Year’s Eve to pray to the gods for a good year to come. And shrine staff ring a bell for 108 times in countdown. This year the government were discouraging mass visits on NYE & asking citizens to apece out their visits.

A quiet evening in for us …. no doubt similar to that of many others! Wishing you all a Happy & Healthy 2021. And I sincerely hope it is one when we can move beyond Covid and find a little normality.

New Year Decorations

Decorating the outside of one’s home and offices usually takes place towards the end of December. The most usual decorations are pine branches, with pines a symbol of long life in Japan.

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